More than a year after guitar manufacturer Gibson first informed Guitar Hero publisher Activision it may be infringing a Gibson patent, a California U.S. District Court has dismissed the accusation.

Gibson's patent, U.S. Patent No. 5,990,405, describes a "System and Method For Generating and Controlling a Simulated Musical Experience," and is intended to involve the user playing an actual musical instrument, accompanied by a backing track and prerecorded visuals.

After unsuccessfully attempting to convince Activision to license the patent, Activision filed a complaint of non-infringement against Gibson.

This alleged that not only do Guitar Hero's systems and peripherals not fall under the domain of the patent, but Gibson had for years allowed and encouraged the sale of Guitar Hero products without complaint. In fact, a number of official Guitar Hero controllers have borne the Gibson logo.